Cleanable sight glass in gauges



A 5, 1952 .1. G. PARTCH ETAL 2,605,640

CLEANABLE SIGHT GLASS IN GAUGES Filed Oct. 8, 1949 /K 5 OD -1 INVENTOR5 ,7 JO N 4. Marc 9' /a 00mm zany y BY WARNER 5.5(0VILL.

I 8 I arrolensvs,

Patented Aug. 5, i952 I 1. PF E CE as-05, 40 pheasants sisnr GLASS 1N causes s me. Partc'h, South Euclid, Donald a. Day, Garfield Heightsfand Warner E. Scovill, Lakewood, Ohio, ass-igncrs to The Standard Oil Company; Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application oct t s, 1949,1Se'rial No. 120,296

In apparatus operating with liquids'j si f ifi glasses as in liquid level gauges, etc; are prone to become obscuredby a deposit of 'ma'tter on their inner face; In steam boiler practice it isnot unusual for such a condition torequire dismounting of the glass and'cl'eaning;the valves'as"ar ranged' on the water-columnfconnecd'ons making this possible. some devices have been proposed for facilitating cleaning by ah'and operated pisten or the like which "ordinarily is retracted "toe position below the. 'gau'gejglass'. pressure apparatus such asis employed inicertain chemical operations and in laboratories, even this sort of arrangement has not'jbeen gap plicable, however. In accordance with the present invention a construction maybe had which not only takes care of the cleaning ofthe glas but doesjthisin amanner particularly con've t,

being'associated with valve rheans'fordrawm'g off the liquid in checking levels or sampling'purposes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear 'from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and par ticularly'pointed out in theclaims, the following description and th annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the. invention, these being indicative, however, of but 'a few of the various ways in which-the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing: 7 H Y Fig. 1. is a horizontal section through t hegaii'ge glass portion of a high pressure apparatuashowing the associated valve turned into the same plane for convenience of illustration;

Figila is a small scale outline view of the construction in Fig. 1 with a valve added on outlet 10; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on a plane substantially indicated by line IIII of Fig. 1.

In general, the construction involves a sight glass liquid level gauge having a cleaning element to sweep the inner face of the glass, and having a valve associated for checking the liquid, drawing off samples, etc.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, a sight gauge with glass sights 2 suitably mounted at openings 3 in the metal wall of the container 4 provides a through view of the contents between. It will be understood that the container 4 may be any vessel to which a gauge is adaptable, and thus including high pressure or vacuum chemical apparatus, equilibrium cells, reaction bombs, etc., for instance. The mounting of the glass in the con- 501a n's. (01.73-324) I 2 tainer wa-lls'may be by any usual or desired means permitting assembly and suitabl securing of the glass andrnetal. And it will be understood that any suitable packing or cementing is included for 5 tight joints. Arranged to sweep the inner face of the glass for cleaning the same is a cleaner element 5'. While in some cases this may be of metal, where the contents of the container permit it'is preferableto employ a plastic material having some resilience and yield and being relacly inert chemically. For instance, polymerquite a wide range of container contents. Such d ng element is-shaped-t'o fit within-the glass scrape its surface when rnoved thereover. "It seen -'that the cleaning element ddoesnotdb- I "not the i'iow-oi nun, asspace iis left around 5 e'cleanen; For operating the cleaner, a crinfnection Sis provided "E the stern ofthe valve 'Wherefthe valveis out of :direct "alignment .1 th'e' cleaner, as illustrated in Fig. lga'convenien't operating connection is afforded byasuffici'ently thick push-pull wire as the connection .6. *The'valve-stezn I when operated, as bythe'hand wheel 18; can be withdrawn in the yalvebody. And in such movement, it is seen that theconnesting wire fi will'draw the cleanerfi to the'leit as shown in the drawing, and thereby clean the inside glass surface. The "connection between the valve stern "and the push-pull element "6' and the cleaner is suhicientl'y swiveled at one or more points such that while'th'e valvejstem l has a rotary motion as advanced by its screwthreaded engagement in the valve body 8, the swivel connection allows the push-pull e'lenientjt to be advancedorretracted without itself rotatf-i'ng, and thus the cleaner '5 is pulled or'pushed across th glass surface without rotational change. Additionally, if desired, the shaping of the adjacent metal portion may be such as to afford guide means for the cleaner element. The swivel-connection may involve a rounded head I l at the valve end of the push-pull wire 6, such that the head permits relativ movement where bearing against the retaining plug 12 which is tapped into the end of the valve stem and allows the wire 6 to pass loosely through. Again, if desired, there may b a swiveled connection at the cleaner element 5, the retainers l3, I4 being secured to the wire 6 but not to the cleaner 5. However, it is preferable to apply the retainers l3 and Hi tightly against the cleaner element 5 and allow all rotary movement to occur at the surfaces between the head H and the retainer 55 I2, wear at the cleaner element being thereby rzed tetraiiuoroethylene is a suitabl material for eliminated. As seen, the push-pull Wire travels through a conduit l5 which connects the space of the container 4 to the valve 8 and outlet ID. The latter may be short or as long as desirable in any given case; and any desired angle of relationship may be had. A shut-off valve may be carried also at the end of outlet if desired. By having the stem 1 in screw-threaded engagement with the valve body and provided with suitable gasket packing held by retainer [1, the valve stem may be manipulated by the handwheel 18 as desired; either in sufficient withdrawal to uncover the port 9 and allow escape of fluid as for sampling, or by less complete withdrawal the port may be left covered, the movement of the valve stem in either case serving to move the cleaner element 5 and clean the sight glass. If a suitable valve 22, Fig. Id, be added on outlet I0, control on liquid outflow may be had even when the port 9 is uncovered. This ability to sweep the sight glass by operation of the valve stem either to simultaneously withdraw fluid or in partial extent merely to clean the glass, is seen to be of especial convenience. As readily seen, the length designed for the travel of the valve stem will in any given case depend primarily upon the length of the gauge glass and length of movement required, and the threads of the valve stem may be of such a pitch as consistent in any given case. The remote control by the flexible push-pull wire in its conduit is of great advantage, in permitting any convenient positioning, irrespective of the location of the gauge.

The manner of use of the device is readily understood fromthe foregoing. On turning the handwheel IS, the valve stem '1 is retracted, and the cleaning element 5 is drawn across the surface of the glass. By retracting the valve stem sufficiently to uncover the port 9, fluid is withdrawn. Or, with a further shut-off valve at the end of outlet ID as above-indicated, fluid withdrawal may be controlled by it when port 9 is uncovered. on returning the valve to fully closed position, the cleaner is again moved across the surface of the glass to a position out of the way.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a sight glass, a cleaning element to sweep the inside surface thereof, a draw-off connection at a point below said glass including a valve body having screw-threads internally, a valve stem cooperating therein, and means in common for the operation of the valve and said cleaning element including a push-pull wire swivelly connected to said valve stem and having a connection to said cleaning element whereby to reciprocate it by operation of the valve.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a sight glass, a cleaning element to sweep the inside surface thereof, a draw-0E connection at a point below said glass including a valve body having screw-threads internally, a valve stem cooperating therein, and means in common for the operation of the valve and said cleaning element including a push-pull element connected between said valve stem and said cleaning element.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a sight glass, a cleaning element to sweep the inside surface thereof, a draw-01f connection at a point below said glass including a valve body, a valve stem therein, and means in common for the operation of the valve and said cleaning element including a push-pull element connected betweenv said valve stem and said cleaning element.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a sight glass, a cleaning element to sweep the inside surface thereof, a draw-off conduit, a valve body for said conduit, a movable valve stem in said valve body, and means in common for the operation of the valve and said cleaning element including an operating connection from said valve stem to said cleaning element.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a sight glass, a cleaning element to sweep the inside surface thereof, a draw-01f outlet, a valve controlling said outlet, and combined means for operating the valve and the cleaning element, said means comprising a valve stem with a connection to the cleaning element.

JOHN G. PARTCI-L,

DONALD R. DAY. WARNER E. SCOVILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1865 

